Odisha Channel Bureau
Bhubaneswar: Odisha Government will take immediate steps for handing over the investigation of the cases relating to the alleged gangrape of the Dalit girl in Kunduli area of Koraput district to a Special Investigation Team (SIT).
Announcing this in a statement, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said that the cases will be transferred to the SIT with a prayer to be monitored by court.

“It is my firm belief that law should take its own course and justice should be done without fear or favour,” said Patnaik while terming the Kunduli alleged gangrape case “an extremely tragic incident”.

In addition to transferring the case for investigation to the Crime Branch, the State Government had also instituted an independent judicial inquiry with a sitting judge nominated by the High Court, Patnaik said.

The State Government is committed that justice should be delivered at the earliest and in the most transparent manner, he added.

“Because of the extraordinary circumstances of the case after the death of the victim girl, my strong faith and conviction in the principles of natural justice and commitment to safety and dignity of women, the State Government will take immediate steps for handing over the investigation of the cases to a Special Investigation Team with a prayer to be monitored by court,” Patnaik said in his statement.

The 14-year-old victim girl had committed suicide by hanging herself at her home on January 22.

She had alleged that she had been gang-raped near Kunduli by four persons in uniform on Oct 10 last year.

A five-member team of the National Human Rights Commission is also probing into the alleged gangrape and suicide of the girl.